The Celtics take on the resurgent Suns as part of a West Coast trip.

This is the NBA's Calm-Before-the-Storm Week. There is one game Sunday as most of the league knocks off to let the NFL's final four play down to two, since most of America would stay home to watch football on TV anyway. With the NFL playoffs dark next week, ABC — which is really ESPN's lightly used over-the-air platform — comes out from under its rock to resume national NBA telecasts with the Celtics at Staples Center to play the Lakers next Sunday. The Celtics start their trip at Portland on Thursday, then take on the intrepid Suns, who have won five of six after being given up for dead again, the next night. At the Celtics' august age and even with the Suns in a diminished state, they're not a team you want to see on the second night of a back-to-back situation.